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Gloss
Refers to the coating of the paper. Not to be
confused with a post-production finishing process such as UV Coating or AQ Coating. "Gloss"
simply refers to the actual gloss sheen of the paper itself, prior to printing. In finishing,
however; "gloss" can describe an additional UV or AQ coating. Gloss stock may additionally be
described in terms of C1S or C2S:
C1S
Coated One Side: Sheet is glossy on front, flat with no coating
on back.
C2S
Coated Two Sides: Sheet is glossy on both
sides.
Uncoated
Uncoated means just that; there is no
additional coating. This stock is commonly use for letterhead, envelopes and personal
stationary. In this case, we recommend that you DO NOT use dark colors with high color
density on this stock (black, purple, blue, brown, etc) because they may soak into the paper
and possibly bleed. Use lighter colors for best results on uncoated stock.
Silk /Satin / Dull Cover
Matte, dull and silk coated stocks have a
flat, unreflective or dull finish. These types of paper are frequently used to make pages
easier to read that are text or type intensive. Having said that, it is still difficult
for the end user to actually the difference in most instances. Dull Matte cover stock is
a less expensive alternative to "Silk" or "Satin" cards because its elegant smooth
finish closely resembles that of the more expensive silk or satin cards on the
market.
Paper Weight
Now that you understand the two types of paper options and the various finishes they
can have, it becomes much easier to understand the third and final factor: paper weight.
The weight of the paper stock, also known as caliper, is measured in
1/1000 of an inch. While their are a variety of weights, there are two options - cover or
text.
Cover
As the name suggests, this stock is often used for the covers of
brochures, booklets, calendars or products such as business cards, postcards, rack cards,
collectors cards, bookmarks, hang tags, presentation folders and items requiring a durable
paper stock. Cover stock is meant for products not typically meant to be folded, bent or
easily torn. If bending is needed (such as with greeting or tent cards) then a
score is required. Cover stock weight is described in points (pt).
For example, "14 pt. Gloss Cover". The higher the points, the thicker the paper. While
this is not a complete list of cover stocks available, here is a list of the more
popular:
10 pt. Cover
Gloss
10 pt. Cover Soft Gloss; 10 pt.
Heavy Duty Soft Cover Gloss; 10 pt. Soft Cover Gloss.
Description: Same as 14 pt Cover Gloss, but
thinner for different
applications.
Popular
Uses: brochures, menus, flyers, door hangers, catalog covers, greeting
cards, posters.
Noted Attributes:
Foldable.
10 pt. Cover
Matte
10 pt. Cover Soft Matte; 10 pt. Heavy Duty Matte Cover
Gloss; 10 pt. Soft Cover Matte.
Description: A thick cover stock with a
dull finish and soft texture.
Popular Uses: brochures, menus, flyers, door
hangers, catalog covers, greeting cards, posters.
Noted Attributes: Foldable, markable, limited printer support, recycled
material.
11 pt. Cover Gloss -
100lb Cover Gloss
Similar to 100 lb
Gloss Text, but much thicker and heavier.
Description: Thicker than 10pt cover stock
with a soft shine and texture. Similar to 100 lb Gloss Text, but much thicker and
heavier. Use when durability, not just thickness is a
factor.
Popular Uses: brochures, menus, flyers, door
hangers, catalog covers, greeting cards, posters.
Noted Attributes:
Durable.
11 pt. Cover
Matte - 100lb Cover Matte
Variations
Include: 11 pt. Matte Cover lb Gloss Text, but much thicker and
heavier.
Description: Same as 100 lb Gloss Cover
but Matte, having a dull finish and notably smooth.
Popular Uses: brochures, menus, flyers, door
hangers, catalog covers, greeting cards, posters.
Noted Attributes: Durable, smooth finish, environment
friendly.
14 pt. Gloss
Cover
Variations Include: 14 pt.
Gloss Coated; 14 pt. Heavy Duty Gloss; 14 pt. Gloss UV
Coated.
Description: This is a very popular heavy duty
slick surfaced gloss paper.
Popular Uses: Business cards, postcards
and rackcards or any product where a thick stock and slick surface is desired.
Noted Attributes: Extra thick card stock with gloss finish, not writable
or printable.
14 pt. Uncoated
Cover
14 pt. Premium Uncoated Cover;
14 pt. Cover Uncoated; or similar variations refer to a heavy duty cover stock with an
uncoated finish.
Description: This is a Heavy Duty Stock
with no extra coating applied.
Popular Uses: as above or any product where a
thick stock with no shine is desired
Noted Attributes: Mailing friendly, heavy card
stock
14 pt. Dull Matte
Cover
14 pt. Dull Coated; 14 pt. 14
pt Cardstock, Dull Matte Coated, 14 pt. Dull Cover, 14 pt. Matte, 14 pt. Matte Cover or
any variation of the above may the same
thing.
Description: A heavy duty
stock dull coated for an elegant and smooth matte
finish.
Popular Uses: business cards, club card flyers,
postcards, hang tags, rack cards, presentation folders.
Noted Attributes: mail friendly, markable, limited printer
support
14 pt. UV Gloss
Cover
Variations Include: 14 pt.
Ultra-Violet Gloss Stock; 14 pt. Cover High Gloss; 14 pt. Gloss UV
Coated;
Description: This is a Heavy Duty Stock
with "ultimate" shine that features a Fade-Resistant UV Coating. This stock is almost
always picked for the business card and rack card printing we do, with postcards being
very close behind.
Popular Uses: Business cards, club card
flyers, postcards, hang tags, rack cards,
folders, brochures, booklets, bookmarks, greeting
cards.
Noted Attributes: Extra thick card stock with ultra high gloss
finish, not writable or
printable.
14 pt. Gloss, AQ
Coated
14 pt. Gloss Coated; 14 pt.
Ultra-Violet Gloss Stock, 14 pt. Cover High Gloss, 14 pt. Heavy Duty Gloss, 14 pt. Gloss
UV Coated or any variation of the above all means the same
thing.
Description: This is a heavy-duty gloss stock
with an additional Aqueous Coating.
Popular Uses: Business cards, club card
flyers, postcards, hang tags, rack
cards,
folders, brochures, booklets, bookmarks, greeting
cards.
Noted Attributes: Extra thick card stock with a notable gloss sheen, not
writable or
printable.
Continued >>
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Categories
Understanding Paper Stock